


hey, Mr-No-Name-Kid

by grandmas_ghost (nap_princess)



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Happy Ending, Modern AU, Modern work AU, One-Sided Rivalry, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 08:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14712743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nap_princess/pseuds/grandmas_ghost
Summary: "Oh my God, just kiss already!"–  SaiIno, one-sided rivalry / modern work AU(Happy belated Valentine's Day)





	hey, Mr-No-Name-Kid

**Author's Note:**

> Happy belated Valentines' Day  
> – for freyja0taku 

** hey, Mr-No-Name-Kid **

* * *

"You're really pretty, Ino, you know that? Beautiful even."

Ino finds her breathing slowing down as these words pour out of Sai's mouth. Her chest clenches and Ino stares at him. What? _What?_ Did she just hear that right? The club's loud booming music wasn't playing a trick on her, was it?

She wants to ask but all she manages to say is, "You're drunk."

.

.

.

 _Rewind to the beginning, late Spring_ –

It's not easy being an adult – especially when you're still in your early 20s; trying to figure out your life, get a job that pays a decent salary and take care of yourself because an existential crisis at this age just seems horribly too early.

But, Sai seems to be struggling with this all at once on this busy morning. Why did he have to have this interview on a Saturday? Who on earth works on weekends?

His left foot clips a stone sticking out on the paved street and he almost falls but catches himself just in time. Gosh, he wouldn't be such a flustered hurried mess if he wasn't so damn lost. The taxi guy that had dropped him off had driven him to the wrong side of the street. Jerk even made him pay extra because the 'long way' was the only way to get there! It wasn't even the destination Sai had in mind!

There's no doubt about it, Sai is going to be **late**. He scolds himself, telling doubtful things like how his tardiness will cost him the job. He may as well give up and lie down on the couch and watch Bob Ross paint for a few hours. Bob Ross _always_ puts a smile on his face, why put himself through this torture if he knows he's not going to get the job? I mean, who was he kidding? There's probably a long line of other potential employees.

The company's got a whole Summer to weed out the weak before they take newcomers in Autumn. Who's going to pick him and his graphic design art degree? Why did he even choose an art degree in the first place?

Sai was losing hope.

But then, from the other side of the street, someone catches Sai's dark eyes. The whole world slows and classical music fills Sai's brain – harps and soft flutes and those fork things (or was that a fake instrument?).

It was a woman about his age.

Sai thinks, this was the kind of girl he could stare at forever. And if he painted her, then he wouldn't mind doing just that. She had her hair pulled into a high ponytail; long and blonde, straight as a waterfall, flowing behind her. She had huge earphones on, blocking out the world – no, _filling_ her world with music. An oversized jacket hid her frame, keeping her warm and covering the upper half of her floral dress.

She looked content with her life – just the right amount of measured happiness. There was _something_ about her. Sai couldn't put a finger on it, but she just seemed so put together for someone her age. She looked like the type of person who had just enough for everything. Enough money in her pockets to purchase groceries and a little extra on the side to purchase some sort of luxury, enough time to sit down to read a good book, enough friends to call up and never be lonely. Everything about her – it seems like she herself was enough.

Whoever this woman was, just being in her range felt like she had graced him with her presence. It was _enough_ , and Sai wanted to strive for that about of happiness.

She seemed to have noticed his gaze because her blue eyes crinkle in response and she flashes him a fleeting smile, Sai manages a small grin, legs still moving.

 _Heck, if Miss-No-Name can get her life together, then so can I!_ Sai thinks then picks up the pace in his hurried steps.

* * *

 _Nine months after the interview, the middle of Winter_ –

"Ino-san, I take it that you and Sai-san are now on good terms?" Hinata Hyuuga asks her friend.

Lunch hour is always the time for juicy gossip.

Sakura Haruno turns to the blonde, raising a brow. It almost makes Ino want to shrink and hide behind her salad. It didn't help either that the round table they were sitting at was small, almost bumping knees with everyone.

"Since when have you been on good terms with Sai?" Sakura asks. "After you declared that one-sided rivalry thing, I thought he'd be stuck as your archenemy until the day the two of died."

Ino feels her face flush red. She will admit, they started off on the wrong foot. Ino had taken offence when Sai had forgotten her name and called her 'Miss Oreo'. What got to her wasn't his forgetfulness, mind you. It was the fact that she had figured Sai was calling her 'round' when calling her an Oreo. It was the only connection Ino made when he compared her to a cookie.

Then again, Ino also blames other sources on how she had viewed Sai. The blonde woman had heard her fellow peers complaining about Sai's lack of social skills, blurting out the first thing that came to his mind.

”Pfft, ‘one-sided rivalry’? Nonsense.” Ino says, sniffing just to seem unbothered. "I just thought he was a bit rude for his bluntness."

”So, I take it that you _are_ on good terms now and _did_ have a one-sided rivalry with him?”

"I _never_ had a 'one-sided rivalry' with him,"

Hinata shutters, "I – I don't think he was rude. Sai-san just said your blouse made you look like an Oreo."

"It _was_ rude, Hinata-chan." Ino replies, sounding a little snippy from the recollection. "What did he expect me to do, buy a new blouse and switch it with something else? Girls, he **didn't** follow the five minute rule! If something can't be fixed within five minutes, like spinach in my teeth or wiping something off my face, then there's no need for it to be pointed out."

"Yeah, okay, I think I see your point." Sakura says, rolling her green eyes. Ino _is_ the type to be protective over her fashion statements. Sakura continues, "But anyway, back to the question, when did this all happen? I swear it felt like you were complaining about him last week."

"I was not!" Ino blushes hard again then answers, "Things got settled the night Sai got invited to go out with us to the SAND BOX."

"The night at the club?" Sakura asks.

"Yeah," Ino replies.

"Na – Naruto-kun invited Sai-san, didn't he?" Hinata asks as she dunks a chocolate biscuit into her hot tea and takes a bite out of it.

"Uhm … _yeah_ ," Ino confirms, though her voice dips an octave.

"Oh, the night he saved you from creepy Hawaiian shirt guy?" Sakura asks, putting two and two together.

Hinata frowns a little. "Why does it seem like magic happens at clubs? I want to fall in love too,"

Ino almost chokes on her own spit. Ino whispers harshly, "I'm not falling in love with Sai!"

"You _could_." Hinata says. "Remember when Sakura-san thought Sasuke-san was a jerk because he barely said two words to her but then he saved her from handlebar moustache guy? He didn't even say **anything** , he just grabbed Sakura-san's hand and pulled her towards him. The moustache guy almost had Sakura-san too but then Sasuke-san stepped in and _boom_ , magic happened, and three months later Sakura-san and Sasuke-san are happily dating."

This time, it's Sakura's turn to blush. "I was just lucky that Naruto had invited Sasuke-kun. And, I guess, also the fact that Sasuke-kun has sharp eyes, level 95 intimidation skills and a tall enough stature to tower over handlebar moustache guy. If I had been anywhere else out of Sasuke-kun's range, then handlebars would have totally have gotten his way."

"We know that's a lie, you would have knocked moustache guy out for sure." Ino butts in, she swings her arm just for show. "One swing, BAM, lights out!"

Sakura lets out an embarrassed laugh at this. She wouldn't exactly call clubs a magical place to fall in love because you just can't win with clubs. You either get a place with decent people that plays shitty music or you get a place with great music with occasional creepers.

A lightbulb flicks above the pink haired woman, she leans forward the table and gestures for the others to do the same.

"Oh, do you want to know my theory?" Sakura asks, leaning in as she speaks with a dramatic low tone. This makes Ino semi-glad because it might serve as a distraction to her friends from the topic that is Sai. Sakura says, "I think Naruto's secretly cupid himself, he's good at setting up people but he sucks at finding love himself. But don't worry, Hinata-chan, I'm sure he'll notice you're the perfect girl for him."

Hinata's whole face goes red from this, she squeaks out gibberish and tries to deny everything.

Oh God, if Ino could sink into the ground then she would. The theory would have been maybe plausible if not for the fact that Naruto didn't invite Sai to go out with them. It was –

" _Oh_ , Ino-san, have you made it up to Sai-san yet?" Hinata asks, she was always the one to circle back to the main topic when the others got side-tracked by other stories getting tossed into the conversation.

"What?" Ino asks, face twisted in discomfort. Crap, she hoped they wouldn't ask her that!

"Sai-san saved you, right?" Hinata questions back.

Ino looks away, blue eyes casting to anything at the breakroom. "Yeah …"

"And you said you wanted to make it up to him, right?" Hinata continues to press forward.

"… Yeah,"

"Well, have you?"

"Erm," Her manicured hands grips tightly to the fabric of her pencil skirt and bunches it up, causing creases and wrinkles. Ino shutters. "… No …"

Sakura beams and Hinata follows suit. Damn her sneaky friends.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

* * *

Ino recalls the day she asked Sai to go out to have a few drinks with them. She didn't intend to settle things between them. She didn't mind keeping up the 'one-sided' rivalry as Sakura had called it. It was actually a little fun being petty at times. But somehow, Ino doesn't know how, he just had persuaded her; soften her heart and made her utter words she didn't know she could ever say to him – it happened through an awkward conversation and an elevator ride.

.

.

.

If anyone asked Ino, she would have sworn that that elevator ride was staged. Staged by God himself, that psycho in the sky who likes to play with everyone's live! It _must_ have been staged or rigged or whatever, because, what other explanation was there?

 

…

"Hold the door!" A frantic voice yells.

Ino's hand automatically slaps the 'open' button, blue eyes searching for the person yelling. If anyone asked, Ino would admit, she could have care less about whoever it could be running to the lift like a madman. But then **Sai** comes into her view and, Ino ends up cursing up and down in her head. Is it possible to be disappointed by something when there were no expectations to begin with?

By the time Sai composes himself, muttering a quick 'thanks' and pushing the 'close' button, it's already too late for Ino to walk out of the death trap.

 _Of course,_ Ino thinks to herself. Of course, she had to endure an elevator ride with Sai of all people.

"Hi, Yamanaka-san." Sai greets as a reflex smile forms on his face.

Ino only closes her blue eyes in response, suppressing a groan. Is there a polite way of telling someone to not talk to her? "Hey," She mutters, turning away from him.

She wished she could have let her eyes stay shut. She really did. But, call it a sixth sense or superhuman abilities or whatever because Ino could tell Sai was staring at her through her closed eyes and she couldn't leave that alone, could she? His gaze was too much for her to not ignore. Honestly, she can't underestimate this guy.

"What?" Ino asks, blue eyes snapping open. She turns her head and sees Sai eyeing her with his head slightly tilted. For a split second, Ino felt subconscious, but only a second before she pushes it away. She asks again, " _What?_ "

They pass a floor.

"Something looks different about you." Sai notes.

Ino sighs, a hand reaching up to touch her ponytail. Sai really was oblivious, wasn't he? "My hair's not in its usual bun."

As if on cue, Sai's dark eyes flit over to look at her hair. He hums for a moment then says, "Oh,"

Ino feels her shoulders tense. How can one word sound so offensive? 'Oh'? What's that supposed to mean? She should say something – no, wait. No, she shouldn't. She should just keep her mouth shut and let things go. Play the silent game and walk out of the lift as soon as she gets to her floor of choice.

Unfortunately, their conversation doesn't die that easily because Sai asks a question not even 0.2 seconds later.

"Do you hate me?" Sai asks after a moment.

Ino almost chokes on her own spit. What a sudden question! She looks at him dead in the eyes to see if he's playing a joke on her. Because – _dafuq?_ Who the heck is **that** straightforward about confronting someone they think dislikes them? Who the – _Oh wait_ , never mind.

She regains her composure and replies, "Clearly,"

They pass another floor.

Sai blinks. "Why?"

"Why?" Ino repeats then gaps at him. "Did you forget? After you made fun of my new blouse, you called me ill-tempered for getting defensive! How could I not hate you?"

"Short-tempered," Sai corrects. "I said 'short', not 'ill'."

"Same thing," Ino waves a hand in exaggeration.

"Not really." Sai says, eyebrows furrowed.

He sounds a little hurt for some reason but Ino doesn't think she has the energy to sympathize. She's been trying to wrap her head around Sai's motives for months now, and to this day, about five months after he had stepped foot into this company, she **still** can't understand him.

"Whatever," Ino waves her hand. She can't believe she's having a fight with Sai at work, in broad daylight. "Just know that I don't like you, okay?"

Sai's shoulders sag in response. His gaze drops to look at his worn-out leather shoes. The elevator continues to ride upwards. He says glumly, "Oh."

Oh God, now he just made her feel incredibly crappy by just saying the same one word!

" _Hey_ , you can't do that!" Ino says, making his head snap back up from the ground and look at her in the eyes. "You can't sound so sad and surprised. What do you expect from calling me names and accusing me of being things I'm not?"

His expression twists. Sai touches his pale arm, fiddling with his rolled-up sleeves. He looked like a guilty child being scolded by an adult.

"Sorry," He apologizes. "I'm … I'm not very good at being social. I'm more of a techie than a people person. Replying work e-mails are probably the most conversation I get on a daily business."

Ino takes a step back from this.

"I didn't mean to offend you." Sai says. "I just say things without thinking. Um, I know it's bad but … yeah, I'm working on it."

Ino feels her chest tighten. _Aww_ , he just made her feel like, ten percent sad for him.

"The only problem is," Sai says, still confessing. "I don't know if I'm getting better or not. It's kinda hard to tell when I have no friends to ask these things."

 _Shit_ , now it's forty percent sad. Ino closes her blue eyes. She recognizes that Sai needs to go out and make friends and all that but … asdfghjkl. Ino peeks at Sai from under her lashes and almost wants to kick herself for an idea that prods her. Less than two minutes ago, she hated his guts. Now she's feeling bad for him. She can't believe she's going to do this.

Taking a deep breath in, Ino calls his name, "… Sai?"

"Yes?"

"Sai, a few of our office colleges are going out tomorrow night. If you're free … If you don't mind hanging out with us, do you want to join us? We're going drinking at this bar-club thing. I can't really call it a social since the loud music's going to make it impossible to hear but … we're going to unwind together so … come along, the more the merrier."

Sai's face softens. "That sounds lovely."

The conversation ends with Ino exiting the lift and Sai waving good-bye to her.

* * *

Ino remembers that night, it was cold, the middle of Winter. She remembers abandoning her scarf and coat to step into that warm club filled with music and fun and friends. Maybe Ino remembered that Winter night a little too well despite the fact that she had drank a few glasses of pina colada.

"Do you see that guy in the Hawaiian shirt?" Sai asks.

Ino peers from over Sai's shoulder. Sai's standing oh-so close to her. She can't really understand why he's cupping her face so lovingly. Earlier, Ino had seen Sai roughly bumping his own shoulder against the said guy, sending him stumbling a little. It was weird to see Sai act that way, Sai had a loose mouth but he was usually gentle-ish and reserved.

The next thing Ino knew, Hawaiian shirt guy was calling Sai names from the distance but Sai didn't react. He was either too busy walking over her to bother responding or he just didn't care. One minute he was somewhere at the club and then the next, he was standing in front of her.

"Uh, yeah?" Ino answers. She feels his hand touching the middle of her back, pulling her closer to him, and she responses by giving him a confused look.

"I overheard him wanting to go over to you and grab you ass," Sai whispers into her ear, sounding angry. Sounding furious beyond anything.

Ino peers over his broad shoulder once again, she sees Hawaiian shirt guy standing there, squinty eyed. She feels her jaw tighten and she sees red. She wants to melt Hawaiian shirt guy into a puddle, Ino wished her eyes could glare laser beams.

"I hope you don't mind this." Sai says.

"What? This?"

"That I'm holding you." Sai explains. "I couldn't let that guy do that to you so I just – I don't know what came over me. I just wanted to give him the impression that you're taken but now I realize, I might have overstepped my boundary around you." He tells her as his right hand cups her jaw while the other has now moved to tangle itself in her pale, blonde hair. "I'm sorry." Sai apologizes sincerely, still holding her close.

The blinding light and loud music do little to nothing to distract Ino. Ino says, jumping in quickly. "You don't have to say anything."

"Are you _that_ mad at me that you just don't want to have this conversation?" Sai asks.

Ino only looks at Sai in return. She thinks, _Wow, just how oblivious to emotion is he? Can't he see how grateful I am to him?_

Ino shakes her head. "No, I'm not mad."

The concern on Sai's face immediately melts away. She blames Sai's inability to understand her feelings on his intoxicated state.

She tells him, "Let me make it up to you."

Sai replies not even a second later, blunt as always. "Are you going to kiss me or something?"

Ino's blue eyes widen. Uh – this was not what she had in mind. She figures she'd do something nice for him in return like a gift or a kind gesture or a warm meal. Not … making out with him in a dimly lit club.

She almost wants to back-peddle but she asks him back anyway, "Do you want me to?"

"Erm," Sai hums, blinking at her. "I … I dunno. It always happens in the movies but this is real life so …"

She feels her shoulders drop in relief. She doesn't think she's ready to make out with her 'one-sided arch nemesis' just yet – wait, that didn't come out right.

"You're drunk," Ino states.

"Yeah, I am. A little." Sai admits. He pauses, eyes going in and out of focus. But then he calls her name, "Ino?"

"Yeah?" Ino asks through the booming music, she turns her ear in his direction.

"You're really pretty, you know that? Beautiful." Sai says, leaning in, near the shell of her ear.

For the first time during that night, Ino's glad there are wild flashing coloured lights everywhere because she doesn't think she can ever live down the fact that Sai made her blush. Ino says again, hoping it was enough of a distraction, "You're drunk."

* * *

"Come over to my house," Ino had said one day, there's a big frown on her face. Her eyebrows are pointed as if she was annoyed with his presence although she was the one who came over to his desk.

Sai looks away from his computer screen. He sees her tapping an inpatient finger against her bicep of her crossed arms. Sai doesn't understand why she's acting all fussy and serious. He asks, "Why?"

"Because –" She says, arms straight, chest weighted, hands clenched. Her soft coloured blouse wrinkles from how stiff she is, she'll have to smoothen it down later. She needs to look presentable for work. "Because, I'm making you dinner."

Sai's eyebrows curve. "Is that it? You got all worked up over an invitation for dinner?"

"Yes," Ino squeaks. God, she hates that she's fumbling with her words.

He lets out a snort.

"Well," She presses on, Sai find it hilarious. "Well, are you accepting my invitation or not?"

It's a usual occurrence for Sai to react differently when it came to responses of any kind. His replies were almost always a little out of place. And his response to Ino's flustered answer is to laugh. And strangely, she's not pissed off by this. There is no hint of taunting in his voice.

His laugh rumbles something deep in her. It's the kind of genuine laugh with his eyes downcast and lips pulled back in a grin that showed teeth and dimples. It was the kind of laugh that wanted to be a secret, like when someone laughs at a dumb video and then pretends it never happened. It was the spur of a moment thing. But,  _boy_ , did she want to see that sort of smile again.

"Of course," He says, still smiling.

This time, there are no wild flashing lights to hide the blush on Ino's face.

…

"What do you think of me?" Ino ends up asking, she can't help the words from flowing out as she stares at the pot of noodles she was stirring. Spaghetti for dinner. Simple, and for two. This was her IOU for him saving her the other night from that creep.

Sai turns away, lifting his eyes to her. He really should be helping out; chopping some vegetables or something but he doesn't want to part ways from his spot at the dining table or his current sketch. Plus, the smell of garlic on his hands is unpleasant since the smell always seem to stick and linger.

He asks, "In general?"

Ino frowns at the pot on the stove. Sai's usually so straightforward, he hardly beats around the bush and asks things to reconsider. But she supposes he should contemplate his words more. She answers, "Yeah,"

The blonde hears him chuckle under his breath. A small part of her wants to snap at him and ask 'Why are you laughing? What's so funny?'

But Sai beats her to the punch. "I think you're beautiful."

Ino's face colours. She's glad she has her back to him. So, that night at the club, it wasn't just the alcohol talking. Ino squeaks her next reply, almost shyly, "... Thanks."

Sai only lets out a louder laugh. And this time, Ino must turn and face him because she doesn't want to miss the sight of him smiling wide.

He says, "Now it's your turn to tell me I look pretty."

Ino only raises the wooden spoon in her hand playfully. "You? Pretty? Ha! You look like an _Oreo_ more than anything."

Sai only fake gasps and soon the kitchen is overflowing with laughter until Ino notes the water boiling in the pot of noodles is bubbling and it's 'his fault' for distracting her because now their spaghetti will be 'too' soft.

* * *

 _Rewind, half a year ago, early Autumn_ –

"Hey, Mr-No-Name-Kid," Ino Yamanaka had greeted many months ago, a folder in her hand.

The man she's addressing turns away from his computer. He pauses, mid-way from typing out an e-mail reply, and his dark eyes blink at her. Ino waves the folder in his view and he takes it before she can explain.

She says, "The boss wants you to sort those out and get them done by the end of today."

"Oh, okay." He answers back then flips them open and skims through the neatly printed paper.

"I hope it's not too much work for you. I think the boss is a little harsher on you but, y'know, it is your specialty and all, so I think you'll manage." Ino tells him then she laces her hands behind her back and waits for a response.

"No, it's fine, it's not too much work. It's fine." He says, eyes still on the folder.

He barely even glanced at her. Ino wants to sigh. The least he can do is give her some eye contact, they _are_ having a conversation, after all. Ino finds herself smoothening her baby hairs and patting her tight bun to preoccupy herself with the awkward silence.

"So, erm, your name's Sai, right?"

"Yeah," Sai replies with a nod.

"Well then, Sai, I hope today goes smoothly for you." Ino says.

"Thanks, Miss … uh –" He pauses and looks at her.

Ino notices this. She knows he's new to the office, so it would be impossible for him to remember everyone's name. Her hand moves, ready to tap the nametag on her blouse. But he beats her to the punch before she can point it out.

The end result, however, is disastrous.

"– Miss Oreo,"

What?

" _Pardon_?" Ino asks, though the way she says it sounds more angry than polite. Miss Oreo? Did she look round like a cookie? Did she in any way have black and white splotches on her face? Crumbs on her shirt?

"Oh, I just thought it fits you since your blouse has black dot designs on it." Sai explains.

Ino holds back the need to scoff. Well, who's _he_ to talk? He's pale as a ghost and is wearing _some_ black collared shirt and grey slacks. He looks more like an _Oreo_ than anybody else at the office.

Ino presses her glossed lips tightly together and tells him, "My name is Ino Yamanaka. _Not_ Miss Oreo."

Sai doesn't even pause to consider his words. He just says it aloud, "You're a short-tempered one, aren't you?"

"Only around you," She says, she doesn't bother hiding the snappy tone behind her bite.

Their first impressions on each other were not the best.

.

.

.

 _Jump ahead, years later, like the Spring day she caught his eye_ –

"Are you going to kiss me?" Sai asks, his voice is in a whisper, he holds her white-gloved hands close.

"Only if you kiss me back," Ino answers. She looks at him, dressed so smartly in a white collared shirt and a black jacket thrown over. She adds, just for fun, "Mr Oreo."

"If I'm Mr Oreo then you'll be Mrs Oreo," He mocks back.

A voice among the crowd yells. It's Goddamn love-God cupid Naruto Uzumaki. He shouts, "Oh my God, just kiss already! You're already standing at the freaking altar!"

"Shut up, Cupid!" Someone else yells.

The couple only laughs before they do as they're told – kissing each other on the lips, softly.

* * *

  **end**

**Author's Note:**

> – 15 February 2018


End file.
